[Here Beginneth the Fourth Part of the Work, which is:

Let not any one of remarkably pious life think that she may not be tempted. The good, who have reached a high degree of virtue, are more tempted than the frail; and there is good reason for it; for the greater and higher the hill is, there is the more wind upon it. As the hill of holy and pious life is greater and higher, so the fiend’s puffs, which are the winds of temptations, are stronger thereon and more frequent. If there is any anchoress who feeleth no temptations, let her dread greatly on that point, lest she should be too much and too strongly tempted. For so saith St. Gregory: “Then art thou chiefly assaulted, when thou dost not feel that thou art assaulted.” A sick man hath two alarming states. The one is when he doth not feel his own sickness; and therefore seeketh not a physician nor medicine, nor asketh any man’s advice, and dieth suddenly before any one expecteth it. This is the anchoress who does not know what temptation is. To such the angel speaketh in the Revelation, and saith: “Thou sagest ‘I am rich, and have need of nothing;’ and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” Thou sagest that thou needest no medicine; but thou art blind-hearted, and seest not that thou art poor and naked of holiness, and spiritually wretched. The other alarming state which the sick man hath, is quite the opposite of this. It is when he feeleth so much pain that he cannot bear that any one should touch his sore, or apply a remedy to it. This is an anchoress who feeleth her temptations so forcibly, and is so sore afraid of them, that no spiritual comfort can gladden her, nor make her to understand that she may and shall, through them, be the better saved. Nay, is it not recorded in the Gospel by God himself, that the Holy Spirit led our Lord into a solitary place to lead a solitary life, that he might be tempted of the hellish adversary? But his temptation, who might not sin, was alone without sin.

Know then, dear sisters, first of all, that there are two sorts of temptations — two kinds of trials — external and internal — and both are manifold. External temptation is that from which come things pleasing or displeasing — without or within. Displeasing without — as sickness, want, shame, mishap, and every bodily hurt that is painful to the flesh. Displeasing within — as grief of heart, anger, and wrath. Likewise, in regard to what is pleasing without— as health of body, food, drink, and sufficient clothing, and every thing of this kind that is agreeable to the flesh. Pleasing without— as any false joy, either from the praise of men, or if one is more beloved, more caressed, more benefited, or honoured than another. The part of this temptation which is called exterior is more deceiving than the other part. Both are, however, one temptation; and each within and without—both of them two parts. And it is called exterior, because it is always either of a thing without, or of a thing within; and the exterior thing is the temptation. These temptations come sometimes from God, and sometimes from man. Temptation from God — as the death of friends, and the sickness of them, or of thyself, poverty, mishap, and such things, also health and wealth. Temptation from man — as any kind of wrong, either by word or deed to thee or thine; likewise praise, or deed of kindness. These come also from God, but not as the others do, without any intermediate cause; and with all of them he trieth man, to find how he fears and loves him. Inward temptations are of various kinds — immoral indulgences, or the desire of them, fraudulent designs which, nevertheless, seem just. These inward temptations come from the devil, or from the world, and sometimes from our flesh. To resist the outward temptations, there is need of patience, that is, of meek resolution. To resist the inward, there is need of wisdom and spiritual strength. We are now to speak of the outward temptation, and to teach those who are subject to it how they may, with God’s grace, find a remedy; namely, self-command, to support them under it.

Blessed is he, or she, and happy, who hath patience in temptation; for when she is tried, it is said, She shall be crowned with the crown of life, which God hath promised to his elect. When she is tried, it ιΡs said — and it is well said — For God so trieth his elect, as the gold in the fire. The false gold perisheth therein, but the good gold cometh out brighter. Sickness is a fire which is patiently to be endured, but no fire so purifieth the gold as it doth the soul.

Sickness which God sends; but not that which some catch through their own folly. For many make themselves sick through their fool-hardiness: and this displeaseth God. But the sickness which God sends doth these six things: it washeth away the sins that have been formerly committed; it guardeth against those that are likely to be committed; it trieth patience; preserveth humility; increaseth the reward; and maketh the patient sufferer equal to a martyr. Thus is sickness the physician of the soul, and heals its wounds, and protects from receiving more; as God saith that it should, if sickness did not prevent it. Sickness maketh man to understand what he is, and to know himself; and, like a good master, it corrects a man, to teach him how powerful God is, and how frail is the happiness of this world. Sickness is the goldsmith who, in the blessedness of heaven, gildeth thy crown. The greater the sickness is, the busier is the goldsmith; and the longer it lasteth, the more exceedingly doth he brighten it; that they may be equal to martyrs through temporal suffering. What greater favour can there be to those who had deserved the pains of hell world without end? Would not he be accounted of all men the most foolish, who refused a buffet, instead of a spear’s wound — a needle’s pricking, for a beheading — a beating, instead of being hanged on the gallows of hell, world without end? God knows, dear sisters, all the woe of this world compared to the very least pain of hell is nothing but ball-play. It is all not so much as a small drop of dew to the broad sea and all the waters of the world. She, therefore, who may escape that fearful state of suffering, and those awful pains, through a sickness that passeth away, through any evil of the present life, may call herself happy.

On the other hand, learn now many remedies against the outward temptation, which proceeds from the wickedness of man. For that of which I have already spoken is of God’s sending. Whosoever harmeth thee by word or deed, consider and understand that he is thy file, and fileth away all thy rust, and all the roughness of thy sins; and though he wears himself away, unhappy man! as the file doth, yet, he maketh thee smooth and brighteneth thy soul.

Again, reflect, that whosoever harmeth thee, or inflicteth upon thee any wrong, shame, anger, or suffering—reflect, that he is God’s rod; and that God beats thee with him, and chasteneth, as a father doth his dear child, with the rod. For thus he saith that he doth, by the mouth of St. John, in the Revelation, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.” He beateth no man but him whom he loveth and accounteth his child, any more than thou wouldst beat a strange child, though it were naughty. But, let him not think well of himself because he is God’s rod. For, as the father, when he hath sufficiently beaten his child, and hath well chastised him, casteth the rod into the fire, because he is naughty no longer; so, the Father of Heaven, when he, by means of a bad man or woman, hath beaten his dear child for his good, casteth the rod, that is, the bad man, into the fire of hell. Wherefore, he saith in another place, “Mine is vengeance, and I will repay;” as if he had said: Avenge not yourselves, nor bear ill will, nor curse when any one offends you, but immediately reflect that he is your father’s rod, and that he will pay him what is due for his rod-service. And is not that an ill-behaved child that scratches again and bites the rod? But the good child, when beaten, if his father bid him, kisseth the rod. And do ye the same, my dear sisters, for so your Father commandeth you, that ye kiss, not with mouth, but with heart-love, those whom he beateth you with. “Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you: and pray for them that persecute and calumniate you.” This is God’s commandment, which is much more acceptable to him than that thou eat bread made of grit, or wear hair-cloth. Love your foemen, he saith, and do good, if ye have power, to those who fight against you; and if you cannot do any thing else, pray earnestly for those who do or say any evil against you. And, as the Apostle teacheth, return never evil for good, but always good for evil, as our Lord himself did, and all his saints. If ye thus do God’s commandment, then are ye his dutiful children, who kiss the rods, wherewith he hath thrashen you. Now, some one may perhaps say, his or her soul I will love well, but by no means his body; but this is saying nothing at all. The soul and the body are but one man, and one doom betides them both. Wilt thou separate what God hath joined together? Let no man be so mad as to put asunder that which God hath joined together.

Reflect again thus; that if a child stumble against any thing, or hurt himself, men beat the thing that he hurteth himself upon, and the child is well pleased, and forgetteth all his hurt, and stoppeth his tears.

Wherefore, take comfort to yourselves; “The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance.” On the day of judgment, God will do as if he said, “Daughter, did this person hurt thee? Did he cause thee to stumble in wrath, or in grief of heart, in shame, or in suffering? Look, daughter, look how he shall pay for it; and ye shall see them bounced with the devil’s mallets, so that they shall be weary of life.” And ye shall be well pleased with this, for your will and the will of God shall be in such unison that ye shall wish whatsoever He wills, and He whatsoever ye wish.

Above all other thoughts, in all your sufferings, reflect always deeply upon the sufferings of Christ—that the Ruler of the world was content, for his bondservants, to endure such ignominy and contempt—buffets, mocking, blindfolding, crowning with thorns, which pierced his head so that streams of blood ran down; and that they left his sweet body bound naked to the hard pillar, and beaten so that the precious blood ran down on every side; the poisonous drink that they gave him when he thirsted, on the cross; the shaking of their heads at him; who cried out in derision so loud, “Look here! he that healed others, Behold now how he healeth and helpeth himself.” Turn back to the place where I spoke of how he was pained in all his five senses; and compare all your sorrow, sickness, and other distresses, and wrongs, by word or deed, and all that man may suffer, with all that He suffered, and you will easily see how little it amounteth to, especially, if you reflect that He was quite innocent; and that He endured all this not for himself, for He did no sin. If ye suffer grief, ye have deserved worse, and all that ye suffer, is for yourselves.

Go ye now, then, along the hard and toilsome way toward the great feast of heaven, where your glad friend expecteth your coming, more joyfully than foolish worldly men go by the green way toward the gallows-tree, and to the death of hell. It is better to go toward heaven sick, than in health toward hell, and to mirth with want, than to woe with abundance. Not, however, but that wretched worldly men buy hell dearer than ye do heaven. Solomon saith, “The way of sinners is planted over with stones;” that is, with severe afflictions. Of one thing be ye well assured — that a harsh word that ye bear with patience, or a single day’s weariness, or a sickness of an hour if any one were to offer to buy one of these from you at the day of judgment; that is, if one were to offer to

buy from you the reward that ariseth from it, ye would not sell it for all the gold in the world. For this shall be your song before our Lord: “We are glad now, O Lord, for the days in which thou didst humble us with the wrongs we suffered from other men; and we are glad now, O Lord, for the years in which we were sick and saw pain and sorrow.” Every worldly affliction is God’s ambassador. Men will receive honourably the messenger of a man of rank, and make him gladly welcome; and so much the more if he is intimately acquainted with the King of Heaven. And who was more intimate with the heavenly King while he dwelt here, than was this ambassador? — that is, worldly suffering, which never left him until his life’s end. This messenger that I am speaking of to you — what doth he say to you? He comforteth you in this manner. As God loved me, saith he, he sent me to his dear friend. My coming, and my abiding, though it may seem bitter, is yet salutary. Must not that thing be dreadful, the shadow of which you could not look upon for dread? And if the very shadow were so sharp and so hot, that ye might not feel it without pain, what would you say of the very awful thing itself, from which it comes? Know ye this for certain, that all the misery of this world is only as a shadow in comparison with the misery of hell. I am the shadow, saith this messenger, that is, this world’s suffering: ye must needs receive me, or that dreadful misery of which I am the shadow. Whoso receiveth me gladly, and maketh me cheerfully welcome, my Lord sends her word that she is freed from the thing of which I am the shadow. Lo! thus speaketh God’s messenger; and therefore, saith St. James, “Count it all joy to fall into divers of these temptations that are called outward;” and St. Paul saith, “All those temptations wherewith we are now beaten, seem sorrow and not joy; but they turn afterwards to prosperity and eternal blessedness.”

Ye, my dear sisters, of the anchoresses that I know, are those who have least need to be fortified against these temptations; sickness only excepted. For I know not any anchoress that with more abundance, or more honour, hath all that is necessary to her than ye three have; our Lord be thanked for it. For ye take no thought for food or clothing, neither for yourselves nor for your maidens. Each of you hath from one friend all that she requireth; nor need that maiden seek either bread, or that which is eaten with bread, further than at his hall. God knoweth many others know little of this abundance, but are full often distressed with want, and with shame and suffering. If this comes into their hand, it may be a comfort to them. Ye have more reason to dread the soft than the hard part of these temptations, which are called outward. For the sorcerer would fain cajole you, if he might, and with flattery render you perverse, if ye were less gentle and docile. There is much talk of you, how gentle women you are; for your goodness and nobleness of mind beloved of many; and sisters of one father and of one mother; having, in the bloom of your youth, forsaken all the pleasures of the world and become anchoresses.

All this is a strong temptation, and might soon deprive you of much of your reward. “O my people, they that call thee blessed, the same deceive thee:” this is the word of God by Isaiah. Whosoever saith before you, “Happy is the mother that bare you; and the greater blessing is it that ye were born,” deceives you, and betrays you. Enough has been said before of flattering — of this world’s flattering—that is, abundance of worldly things. When ye are in want of nothing, then he fawneth upon you; then doth he offer you a kiss; but evil betide his kiss; for it is Judas’s kiss wherewith he kisseth you. Against these temptations be on your guard, dear sisters whatsoever comes from without to tempt you, pleasing or unpleasing, keep your heart always undisturbed within, lest the outward give rise to the inward temptation.

The inward temptation, like the outward, is twofold: for the outward temptation in adversity is displeasure, and in prosperity pleasure that tendeth to sin. I say this because there is some pleasure and some displeasure that merits much reward; as pleasure in the love of God, and displeasure on account of sin. Now, as I say, the inward temptation is twofold: carnal and spiritual. Carnal, as of lechery, gluttony, and sloth. Spiritual, as of pride, envy, and wrath. Wrath is the inward temptation; but that which exciteth wrath is the outward temptation. It is the same with regard to covetousness. Thus, the inward temptations are the seven chief sins and their foul progeny. Carnal temptation may be compared to a foot wound; and spiritual temptation, which is more to be dreaded, may, because of the danger, be called a breast wound. But it seemeth to us that carnal temptations are greater, because they are easily felt. The other we do not notice, although we often have them, yet they are great

and odious in the bright eyes of God; and are, for that reason, much more to be dreaded. For the other, which are sensibly felt, men seek a physician and a remedy. The spiritual hurts do not appear sore, nor do they heal them with confession, nor with penitence, and they draw men on to eternal death before they are in the least aware.

Holy men and holy women are often tempted with the strongest of all temptations; and for their greater good: for in the fight against them they acquire the blissful crown of victory. Yet observe how they lament in Jeremiah: “Our foes are swifter than the eagles: upon the hills they climbed after us, and there fought with us: and also in the wilderness they lay in wait to slay us.” Our foes are three: the devil, the world, and our own flesh, as I said before: nor is it easy, at times, for a man to know which of these three attacketh him: for every one of them helpeth each other. Yet the devil naturally inciteth us to malignant vices, as pride, haughtiness, envy and wrath, and to their pernicious progeny, which will be hereafter named. The flesh naturally inclines us to luxury, ease, and self-indulgence. And the world urges men to covet the world’s wealth, and prosperity, and worship, and other such gewgaws, and deludeth foolish men to fall in love with a shadow. These foes, saith he, pursue us on the hills, and lie in wait for us in the wilderness that they may do us harm. Hill—that is a life of exalted piety; where the assaults of the devil are often strongest. The Wilderness is a life of solitude — of monastic seclusion. For, in like manner as all wild beasts are in the wilderness, and will not suffer the approach of man, but flee away when they hear or see him, so should anchoresses, above all other women, be wild in this manner; and then they will be above all others dearest to our Lord, and they will appear to him most lovely, for of all kinds of flesh that of wild deer is the choicest and most delicious. In this wilderness journeyed our Lord’s people, as we are told in Exodus, toward the blessed land of Jerusalem, which he had promised them: and ye, my dear sisters, are journeying by the same way toward the Jerusalem above — to the kingdom which he hath promised his elect. Go, however, very cautiously: for in this wilderness there are many evil beasts — the lion of pride, the serpent of venomous envy, the unicorn of wrath, the bear of dead sloth, the fox of covetousness, the swine of greediness, the scorpion

with the tail of stinking lechery, that is, lustfulness. These, now, are the seven chief sins detailed in order.

The Lion of Pride hath a great number of whelps; and I will name some of them. The first is called Vain Glory; that is, any one who has a high opinion of any thing that she doth, and wishes to have it talked of, and is well pleased if she is praised, and displeased if she is not commended as much as she wishes to be. The next whelp is called Indignation; that is, any one who thinketh contemptuously of aught that she sees or hears of another, or who despiseth correction or instruction from an inferior. The third whelp is Hypocrisy; that is, she who maketh herself seem better than she is. The fourth is Presumption; that is, one who taketh in hand more than she is able to perform; or meddleth with any thing which doth not belong to her. The fifth whelp is called Disobedience; that is, the child that obeys not his parents; a subordinate minister, his bishop; a parishioner, his priest; a maiden, her mistress; every inferior, his superior. The sixth whelp is Loquacity; those feed this whelp who are great talkers, who boast, judge others, lie sometimes, scoff, upbraid, scold, flatter, excite laughter. The seventh whelp is Blasphemy; the nurse of this whelp is he that sweareth great oaths, or curseth bitterly, or speaketh irreverently of God, or of his saints, on account of any thing that he suffereth, seeth, or heareth. The eighth whelp is Impatience; he feedeth this whelp who is not patient under all wrongs and all evils. The ninth whelp is Contumacy; and this whelp is fed by any one who is self-willed in the thing that she hath undertaken to do, be it good or be it evil, so that no wiser counsel is able to turn her from her purpose. There are many other that are derived from wealth and prosperity, high descent, fine clothes, wit, beauty, strength; pride groweth even out of extraordinary piety and pure morals. Many more whelps than I have named hath the Lion of Pride whelped; but think and meditate very seriously upon these, for I pass lightly over and only name them. But wheresoever I go most quickly forward, dwell ye the longer; for where I lightly touch upon one, there are ten or twelve. Whosoever hath any of those vices which I have named before, or any like them, she certainly hath pride. In whatsoever fashion her kirtle is shaped or sewed, she is the lion’s companion, of which I have spoken above, and nourishes his fierce whelps within her breast.

The serpent of venomous Envy hath a brood of seven: Ingratitude. He breeds this young one, who doth not acknowledge a benefit, but depreciates it, or altogether forgetteth it. A benefit, I say — not only which a man confers, but which God confers or hath conferred upon him or her, greater than she thinks, and might understand that it is, if she bethought herself well. Of this vice men take too little heed, although it is, of all others, one most hateful to God, and most opposed to his grace. The second-born is Rancour or Odium; that is, Malice or Hatred. Whatsoever she doeth, who cherisheth this young one in her breast, is displeasing to God. The third of the brood is Grieving-at-the-good-of-another. The fourth is being Glad-of-his-evil: laughing or scoffing if any misfortune befall him. The fifth is Exposing-faults. The sixth is Backbiting. The seventh is Upbraiding or Contempt. Wheresoever any of these was or is, there was or is the offspring or the old mother of the venomous serpent of hell, Envy.

The unicorn of Wrath, which beareth on his nose the horn with which he butteth at all whom he reacheth, hath six whelps. The first is Contention or Strife. The second is Rage. The third is contumelious Reproach. The fourth is Cursing. The fifth is Striking. The sixth is Wishing-that-Evil-may-happen to a man himself, or to his friend, or to his possessions.

The bear of heavy Sloth hath these whelps: Torpor is the first; that is, a lukewarm heart, which ought to light up into a flame in the love of our Lord. The next is Pusillanimity; that is, too faint-hearted, and too reluctant withal, to undertake any thing arduous in the hope of help from God, and in confidence of His grace, and not of her own strength The third is Dulness-of-heart. Whosoever doeth good, and yet doeth it with a dead and sluggish heart, hath this whelp. The fourth whelp is Idleness; that is, any one who stands still doing no good at all. The fifth is a Grudging, grumbling Heart. The sixth is a deadly Sorrow for the loss of any worldly possession, or of a friend, or for any displeasure, except for sin only. The seventh is Negligence, either in saying, or doing, or providing, or remembering, or taking care of any thing that she hath to keep. The eighth is Despair. This last bear’s whelp is the fiercest of all, for it gnaweth and wasteth the benignant kindness, and great mercy, and unlimited grace of God.

The fox of Covetousness hath these whelps:

Treachery and Guile, Theft, Rapine, Extortion, and Compulsion, False-testimony or Perjury, Simony, Tribute, Usury, Unwillingness to give or lend, sometimes Murder. These vices are, for many reasons, compared to the fox. I will mention two: there is much guile in the fox, and so is there in covetousness of worldly possessions; another reason is, the fox worrieth all the sheep in a flock, although he can ravenously devour only one. In like manner a man greedy of wealth, coveteth what might suffice for many thousands; but, though his heart should break, he cannot spend upon himself, more than one man’s portion. All that man or woman desireth more than is sufficient for leading life comfortably, according to their station, is covetousness, and the root of mortal sin. This is true religion — that every one, according to his station, should borrow from this frail world as little as possible of food, clothes, goods, and of all worldly things. Understand rightly this word, which I say to you—every one according to his station—for it is feathered like an arrow, ready to be let fly; that is, charged with intelligence, as a messenger. Know ye this, that ye may make in many words much strength. Think long about it, and by that one word understand many words that relate thereto; for if I should write them all, when should I make an end?

The Swine of greediness; that is, Gluttony, hath pigs thus named: The first is called Too Early; the second, Too Daintily; the third, Too Voraciously; the fourth, Too Largely; the fifth, Too Often, in drink more than in meat. Thus are these pigs farrowed, I speak of them briefly; for I am not afraid, my dear sisters, that ye feed them.

The Scorpion of Lechery — that is, of lustfulness — hath such a progeny, that it doth not become a modest mouth to name the names of some of them; for the name alone might offend all modest ears, and defile all clean hearts. Those may properly be named whose names are well known; and they are — the more is the harm — too well known to many; as Whoredom, Adultery, Loss-of-Virginity, and Incest; that is, between kindred, carnally or spiritually; which is divided into many kinds. One is, impure desire to commit the uncleanness with the mind’s consent; that is, when the mind and the heart oppose not, but are well pleased, and yearn after all that the flesh incites to, and help each other to the same end — to know and witness it; to hunt after it; with wooing, with tugging, or with any inciting; with giggling laughter; with immodest looks; with light gestures; with gifts; with enticing words; with love speech; kiss; improper handlings; which are deadly sins; loving tide, or time, or place for getting into such harlotry; and other such forerunners, which she must avoid who would not speedily fall into great uncleanness; as St. Austin saith, “She who would keep her conscience clean and fair, must flee from the occasions that are wont frequently to open the entrance and let in sin.” I dare not name the unnatural offspring of this diabolical scorpion with the venomous tail. But sorry may she be who, with or without a companion, hath so fed any of the progeny of licentiousness — which I cannot speak of for shame, and dare not for dread — lest some one should learn more evil than she knoweth, and be thereby tempted. But let every one reflect upon her own accursed devices when tempted by concupiscence. For, howsoever it is done, willingly and awake, with the satisfaction of the flesh, except in wedlock only, it is a deadly sin. In youth extraordinary follies are committed: let her who feeleth herself guilty, belch it all out in confession, utterly, as she committed it; otherwise she is condemned, through that foul flame, to the everlasting fire of hell. Let her shake out, with confession, the scorpion’s brood which she nourisheth in her breast, and slay it with amendment. It is sufficiently evident why I have compared pride to a lion, and envy to a serpent, and so of all the rest, except this last, that is, why lustfulness is compared to a scorpion. But, now, here is the reason of it plan and manifest. Solomon saith, “He that hold hath of a woman is as though he held a scorpion.” The scorpion is a kind of worm that hath a face, as it is said, somewhat like that of a woman, and is a serpent behind; putteth on a pleasant countenance, and fawns upon you with her head, but stingeth with her tail. Such is lechery, which is the devil’s beast, which he leads to market, and to every place where people are gathered together, and offereth it for sale, and cheateth many, because they look only at the beautiful head. The head is the beginning of incontinence, and its delight, which, while it lasts, seemeth so very sweet. The tail, that is, the end thereof, is sorrowful repentance of it; and it stingeth her with the venom of bitter compunction, and penance. And they may be called happy who find the tail to be such; for the venom passeth away. And if it ensueth not here, the tail and the poisonous end is the external punishment of hell. And, is not he a foolish purchaser

who, when he is about to buy a horse or an ox, will look only at the head? Therefore when the devil presenteth his beast, and offereth to sell it, and asketh thy soul in exchange for it, he always hideth the tail, and sheweth the head to view. But do thou go all around it, and thus view the end, and how the tail stingeth; and quickly flee away from it, ere thou be envenomed.

Thus, my dear sisters, in the wilderness in which ye are journeying with God’s people toward Jerusalem’s land, that is, the kingdom of heaven, there are such beasts and such worms; nor do I know any sin which may not be traced to one of those seven, or to their progeny. Unsettled belief in the doctrines of religion—is it not of pride? Disobedience belongeth to it, Sorcery, and false reckoning; believing in luck, and in dreams, and all witchcraft, receiving the Eucharist, or any other sacrament, when in deadly sin — is it not that species of pride which I called presumption, if it is known what kind of sin it is? and if it is not known then it is heedlessness, under the head of Accidia, which I called Sloth. He that doth not forewarn another of any evil or loss — is he not guilty of slothful negligence or malignant envy? Dishonest tithing, withholding a legacy, or any thing found, or lent—is it not covetousness or theft? Retaining another’s wages, when due—is it not downright robbery? This is under covetousness. Or, if any one keeps any thing lent, or committed to his care, worse than he thinks that he ought—is it not treachery, or slothful negligence? In like manner an unreasonable command, or foolishly plighted troth, and being long without receiving the rite of confirmation, going insincerely to confession, or delaying too long to teach one’s godchild the Lord’s Prayer and the Creed — these, and all similar faults, are related to sloth, which is the fourth mother of the seven deadly sins. She who hath drunk any potion, or done any thing whereby no child should be conceived by her, or that when conceived should perish—is not this downright manslaughter, caused by lust? No man would be able to reckon up all sins separately by their own special names; but in those which I have mentioned all the others are included; and there is not, I think, any man who may not understand his own sins in particular under some of the same general heads that are here written.

Of those seven beasts, and of their offspring in the wilderness, and of a solitary life, we have spoken thus far — which beasts are endeavouring to destroy all mortals. The Lion of Pride slayeth all the proud, and all those who are elated and lofty in heart. The venomous serpent slayeth all the envious, and all who have base malicious thoughts. The Unicorn, all the wrathful; and so of the others in succession. In respect to God they are slain; but they live to the fiend, and are all in his retinue, and serve him in his court, every one in the office appropriated to him.

The proud are his trumpeters; they draw in the wind of worldly praise, and then, with vain boasting, puff it out again, as the trumpeter doth, to make a noise — a loud strain of music to shew their vain glory. But, if they reflected well upon God’s trumpeters, and upon the trumpets of the angels of heaven, which shall blow terribly in the four quarters of the world, before the awful judgment, Arise, ye dead, arise! come to the Lord’s judgment, to be judged; where no proud trumpeter may be saved, — if they reflected justly upon this, they would soon enough sound in a lower strain in the devil’s service. Of those trumpeters Jeremiah saith, “A wild ass accustomed to the wilderness in the desire of his heart snuffeth up the wind of his love.” Of those who draw in wind, for love of praise, Jeremiah saith this, as I said before.

There are some jesters who know of no other means of exciting mirth but to make wry faces, and distort their mouth, and scowl with their eyes. This art the unhappy, envious man practiseth in the devil’s court, to excite to laughter their envious Lord. For, if any one saith or doeth well, they cannot, by any means, look that way with the direct eye of a good heart; but wink in another direction, and look on the left hand, and obliquely: and if there is any thing to blame or dislike, there they scowl with both eyes; and when they hear of any good, they hang down both their ears; but their desire of evil is ever wide open. Then they distort their mouth, when they turn good to evil; and if there is somewhat of evil, they distort it, and make it worse by detraction. These are their own prophets — foretelling their own end. They shew beforehand how the hateful fiend shall strike terror into them with his hideous grinning; and how they shall themselves gnash their teeth, and beat their breasts, with rueful looks for the great anguish of the pains of hell. But they are the less to be pitied, because they have learned beforehand their trade of making grim cheer.

The wrathful man fenceth before the devil with knives, and he is his knife-thrower, and playeth with swords, and beareth them upon his tongue by the sharp point. Sword and knife both are sharp and cutting words which he casteth forth, and therewith attacks others. And it forebodes how the devils shall play with them, with their sharp awls, and skirmish about with them, and toss them like a Pilch-clout every one towards another, and strike them through with hell-swords, which are keen, cutting, and horrible pains.

The sluggard lieth and sleepeth in the devil’s bosom, as his dear darling; and the devil applieth his mouth to his ears, and tells him whatever he will. For, this is certainly the case with every one who is not occupied in any thing good: the devil assiduously talks, and the idle lovingly receive his lessons. He that is idle and careless is the devil’s bosom-sleeper: but he shall on Doomsday be fearfully startled with the dreadful sound of the angels’ trumpets, and shall awaken in terrible amazement in hell. “Arise, ye dead, who lie in graves: arise, and come to the Saviour’s judgment.”

The covetous man is the devil’s ash-gatherer, and lieth always in the ashes, and goeth about ashes, and busily bestirs himself to heap up much, and to rake many together, and bloweth therein, and blindeth himself, poketh, and maketh therein figures of arithmetic, as those accountants do who have much to reckon up. This is all the joy of this fool, and the devil seeth all this game, and laugheth so that he bursteth. Every wise man well understandeth this; that both gold and silver, and all earthly goods, are nothing but earth and ashes, which blind every man that bloweth upon them; that is, disquieteth himself for them; is proud in heart through them; and all that he heapeth up and gathereth together, and possesses of any thing more than is necessary, is nothing but ashes, and in hell it shall all become toads and adders to him; and both his kirtle and his covering, as Isaiah saith, shall be of worms, who would not feed nor clothe the needy, “The worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.”

The greedy glutton is the devil’s purveyor; for he always haunts the cellar or the kitchen. His heart is in the dishes; all his thought is of the tablecloth; his life is in the tun, his soul in the pitcher. He cometh into the presence of his Lord besmutted and besmeared, with a dish in one hand, and a bowl in the other. He talks much incoherently, and staggereth like a drunken man who seemeth about to fall, looks at his great belly, and the devil laughs so that he bursteth. God thus threateneth such persons by Isaiah, my servants shall eat, but ye shall always hunger;” and ye shall be food for devils, world without end! “How much she hath glorified herself, and hath lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow give her.” Give the tosspot molten brass to drink, and pour it into his wide throat, that he may die inwardly. Lo! such is the judgment of God against the glutton, and against drunkards, in the Apocalypse.

The lecherous have properly their own name in the devil’s court. For, in those great courts, they are called lechers who have so lost shame, that they are ashamed of nothing, but seek how they may work the most wickedness. In the devil’s court the lecher foully defileth himself, and all his fellows, and stinketh of that filth, and pleaseth his lord with that same stinking odour, much better than he could with any sweet incense. In the Lives of the Fathers, it is told how offensively he smells before God. The angel sheaved this truly and evidently who, when the proud lecher came riding by, held his nose, and did not so for the putrid corpse which he helped the holy hermit to bury. Of all others, therefore, they have the foulest office in the devil’s court who thus befoul themselves; and he shall befoul them, and punish them with never ending stink in the torments of hell.

Ye have now heard one part, my dear sisters, of what are called the seven capital sins, and of their progeny, and of the offices which the men who have married these seven hags serve in the devil’s court, and why they are greatly to be hated and avoided. Ye are very far from them, our Lord be thanked; yet the foul smell of this last vice — that is, of lechery, stinketh so very offensively — for the devil soweth and bloweth it every where — that I am somewhat afraid lest, upon some occasion, it should get into the nose of your heart. For stench riseth upwards; and ye have climbed high, where there is much wind of strong temptations. Our Lord give you wit and strength well to withstand.

An anchoress thinks that she shall be most strongly tempted in the first twelve months after she shall have begun her monastic life, and in the next twelve thereafter; and when, after many years, she feels them so strong, she is greatly amazed, and is afraid lest God may have quite forgotten her, and cast her off. Nay! it is not so. In the first years, it is nothing but ball-play; but now, observe well, by a comparison, how it fareth. When a man hath newly brought a wife home, he, with great gentleness, observes her manners. Though he sees in her any thing that he does not approve, yet he taketh no notice of it, and putteth on a cheerful countenance toward her, and carefully uses every means to make her love him, affectionately in her heart; and when he is well assured that her love is truly fixed upon him, he may then, with safety, openly correct her faults, which he previously bore with as if he knew them not: he becometh right stern, and assumes a severe countenance, in order still to try whether her love toward him might give way. At last when he perceives that she is completely instructed — that for nothing that he doth to her she loveth him less, but more and more, if possible, from day to day, then he sheweth her that he loveth her sweetly, and doeth whatsoever she desires, as to one whom he loveth and knoweth — then is all that sorrow become joy. If Jesu Christ, your Spouse, doth thus to you, my dear sisters, let it not seem strange to you. For in the beginning it is only courtship, to draw you into love; but as soon as he perceives that he is on a footing of affectionate familiarity with you, he will now have less forbearance with you; but after the trial — in the end — then is the great joy. Just in the same way, when he wished to lead his people out of bondage — out of the power of Pharaoh — out of Egypt, he did for them all that they desired — miracles many and fair. He dried the Red Sea and made them a free way through it; and they went there dry-footed where Pharaoh and all their foes were drowned. Moreover, in the desert, when he had led them far within the wilderness, he let them suffer distress enough—hunger and thirst, and much toil, and great and numerous wars. In the end, he gave them rest, and all wealth and joy—all their desire, with bodily case and abundance. Thus our Lord spareth at first the young and feeble, and draweth them out of this world gently, and with subtlety. But as soon as he sees them inured to hardships, he lets war arise and be stirred up, and teacheth them to fight and to suffer want. In the end, after long toil, he giveth them sweet rest, here, I say in this world, before they go to heaven and then the rest seemeth so good after the labour and the great plenty after the great want seemeth so very sweet.

Now, there are in the Psalter, under the two temptations that I spoke of first, which are the outward and the inward temptations, which give birth to all the other four sorts, thus distinguished: light and secret temptation, light and manifest temptation, powerful and secret temptation, powerful and manifest temptation, as we are to understand in this passage, “Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night,” etc. Of light and secret temptation Job saith these words: “Small drops wear through the flint upon which they often fall;” and light secret temptations which men are not aware of, at times cause a faithful heart to err. Of the light manifest temptations, of which he saith thus, “A path shall shine after him,” there is not so much cause to fear. Of powerful temptation, which is yet secret, Job maketh his complaint and saith: “My foes lay in wait for me with treachery and treason, and they prevailed against me, and there was none who helped me.” “Evil shall come upon thee, and thou shalt not know the rising thereof.” Of the fourth temptation, which is powerful and manifest, he maketh his complaint and saith, “They have rushed in upon me, as when a wall is broken, and the gates open.”

The first and the third of these four temptations are, for the most part, under the inward class. The second and the fourth fall under the outward, and are almost always fleshly, and, therefore, easily felt. The other two are spiritual — concerning spiritual faults — and are often hidden and secret when they are most hurtful, and are, therefore, much more to be feared. Many a one who doth not suspect it, nourisheth in her breast some lion’s whelp, or some viper’s brood, that gnaws the soul. Of such Solomon saith, “Enemies have devoured the strength of his soul, and he knew it not.” And in another place, “They drew me, and I felt not; they have beaten me, and I knew it not.” Yet there is most reason to fear when the traitor of hell inciteth to any thing that appears at the same time to be very good, and yet is the bane of the soul, and the way to deadly sin. He doth thus whenever he may not shew his power by open wickedness. No, saith he, “I cannot make this one to sin through gluttony, but I will do as the wrestler doth; I will pull her forcibly aside in the direction she most dreadeth, and cast her on the other side, and throw her down violently before she is at all aware;” — and he incites her to so much abstinence that she is rendered the less able to endure fatigue in the service of God, and leads so hard a life, and so torments her body, that her soul dieth. He sees another whom he cannot by any means make to entertain evil thoughts, so full of love and compassion is her heart. “I will,” he thinketh, “make her even too compassionate. I will so manage that she shall love worldly goods, and think less upon God, and lose her reputation;” and he then puts such a thought as this into her kind heart: “Holy Mary! is not this man, or this woman, in great poverty: and no one will do them any good? They would if I were to ask them, and thus I might help them, and do alms.” Thus he leads her on to collect, and to give first of all to the poor, afterwards to some friend, and at last to make a feast; and she grows quite worldly, and is transformed from an anchoress into a housewife of hell. God knows that one of them maketh such feasts; who thinketh that she is doing good, as foolish and silly people give her to understand, who flatter her for her liberality, and praise her, and boast of the alms that she doth; how widely she is known: and she is well pleased at this, and leapeth up into pride. Some one will be ready enough to say that she is gathering a hoard; so that her house may be broken into, and she too. Lo! thus the hellish traitor pretendeth to be a faithful adviser. Never believe him. David calleth him, “bright shining devil;” and St. Paul, “angel of light:” for such he oft pretendeth to be, and seemeth to many. Account no vision that ye may see, waking or sleeping, or in a dream, to be any thing but an illusion; for it is only one of his stratagems. He hath often thus deceived wise men of holy and pious life; as him whom he came to in the wilderness in the form of a woman, and said that she had lost her way, and wept, as in misery, for a hospitable shelter: and again, of the other holy man whom he made to believe that he was an angel, and of his own father that he was the devil, and made him kill his father. Upon very many former occasions he had always told him the truth, that he might deceive him grievously in the end. Also, of the holy man whom he caused to come home to distribute his father’s goods to the poor and needy, so long that he sinned mortally with a woman, and fell thus into despair, and died in deadly sin. Against the devilish wiles of the man who telleth you such tales, hear how ye should guard yourselves, that he may not deceive you. Sometimes he has made one of you think that it would be flattery if she were to speak in a courteous manner, and if she humbly complained of her indigence; and thanked one for a benefit conferred: and yet, this was rather an arrogant attempt to put out the light of charity, than to do what was right. He endeavours to make some one so zealous to flee from the things that make the life of man agreeable, that she falls into the deadly evil of sloth; or into such profound thought that she becomes foolish. Some one has such a hatred of sin that she looks with proud contempt upon others who fall, when she ought to weep for them, and fear greatly for herself, lest she fall into like sin; and should say, as the holy man did, who sat and wept, and said, when he was told that one of his brethren had fallen into mortal sin, “Alas! he was strongly tempted before he thus fell — as he fell to-day, so,” quoth he, “I may to-morrow.”

Now, my dear sisters, I have named many temptations to you, under the seven sins; but yet not the thousandth part of those with which we are tempted: nor could they, as I think, by any mouth be particularly named. But in those which have already been spoken of all the others are included. There are few persons, or none, in this world, who are not, at times, tempted with some of them. The wicked leech of hell hath so many boxes full of his electuaries, that to him who rejecteth one he offers another directly, and a third, and a fourth, and so on continually until he come to such a one as he in the end accepts, and then he plies him with it frequently. Think, now, of the number of his phials. Hear now, as I promised, many kinds of comfort against all temptations, and, with God’s grace, thereafter the remedies.

Whosoever leadeth a life of exemplary piety may be certain of being tempted. This is the first comfort. For the higher the tower is, it hath always the more wind. Ye yourselves are towers, my dear sisters, but fear not while ye are so truly and firmly cemented all of you to one another with the lime of sisterly love. Ye need not fear any devil’s blast, except the lime fail; that is to say, except your love for each other be impaired through the enemy. As soon as any of you undoeth her cement, she is soon swept forth; if the other do not hold her she is soon cast down, as a loose stone is from the coping of the tower, down into the deep ditch of some foul sin.

Here is another encouragement which ought greatly to comfort you when ye are tempted. The tower is not attacked, nor the castle, nor the city, after they are taken; even so the warrior of hell attacks, with temptation, none whom he hath in his hand; but he attacketh those whom he hath not. Wherefore, dear sisters, she who is not attacked may fear much lest she be already taken.

The third comfort is, that our Lord himself, in the Paternoster, teacheth us to pray, “Lord, our Father, suffer not that the fiend lead us quite into temptation.” Lo! now, take good heed. He wishes not that ye pray that ye be not tempted, for that is our purgatory, and our purifying fire — but, that we be not entirely brought into it, with consciousness of heart and consent of the mind.

The fourth comfort is, the assurance of God’s assistance in the contest, as St. Paul saith, “God is faithful: he will never suffer that the devil tempt us above what he seeth well that we can bear;” but, in the temptation, he hath placed a mark to the enemy; as though he said, Tempt her so far; but thou shalt go no further; and so far he giveth us strength to withstand, and the devil may not go a jot further. St. Gregory says, “Although the devil always desires the affliction of the righteous, yet, unless he receive power from God, he ought not to be feared, because he can do nothing unless permitted.”

And this is the fifth comfort, that he can do nothing to us but by God’s permission. And this was well shewn, as the Gospel tells, when the devils which our Lord cast out of a man besought him and said, “If thou drive us hence, send us into this herd of swine:” and he permitted them. Observe how they might not, without leave, afflict the foul swine. And the swine immediately ran and drowned themselves in the sea. Holy Mary! they so stunk to the swine, that it was better for them to drown themselves than to bear them; and an unhappy creature made after the image of God beareth them in her breast, and thinketh nothing of it. All the evil that ever he did to Job, he always obtained permission to do it from our Lord. See that ye know the story in the dialogue, how the holy man was wont to say to the devil’s serpent, “If thou hast leave,” quoth he, “do sting, if thou mayest;” and he offered him his hand. But he had then no permission, except only to frighten him, if his faith had failed. But when God giveth him leave against his dear children—why is it, but for their great advantage, although it may grieve them sore?

The sixth comfort is, that our Lord, when He suffereth us to be tempted, playeth with us, as the mother with her young darling: she flies from him, and hides herself, and lets him sit alone, and look anxiously around, and call Dame! dame! and weep a while, and then leapeth forth laughing, with outspread arms, and embraceth and kisseth him, and wipeth his eyes. In like manner, our Lord sometimes leaveth us alone, and withdraweth His grace, His comfort, and His support, so that we feel no delight in any good that we do, nor any satisfaction of heart; and yet, at that very time, our dear Father loveth us never the less, but doth it for the great love that he hath to us. And David understood this well when he said, “Lord, do not thou utterly forsake me.” Observe, he was willing that he should forsake him, but not utterly. And there are six reasons why God, for our good, sometimes withdraweth himself: one is, that we may not become proud; another is, that we may know our own feebleness, our great infirmity, and our weakness; and that is a very great good, as St. Gregory saith, “It is great goodness in a man to know well his own wretchedness and his weakness.” “What doth he know,” saith Solomon, “who hath not been tried?” And St. Austin confirmeth the testimony of St. Gregory, with these words, “Better is he who traceth and searcheth out well his own weakness, than he who measureth the height of the heaven and the depth of the earth.” When two persons are carrying a burden, and one of them letteth it go, he that holdeth it up may then feel how it weigheth. Even so, dear sister, while God beareth thy temptation along with thee, thou never knowest how heavy it is, and therefore, upon some occasion, he leaveth thee alone, that thou mayest understand thine own feebleness, and call for his aid, and cry aloud for him. If he delays too long, hold it up well in the mean time, though it distress thee sore. For he that is certain that succour shall soon come to him, and yet yields up his castle to his enemies, is greatly to blame. Think here of the story, how the holy man in his temptation saw opposed to him on the west such a large army of devils, that through great terror he lost the firmness of his faith, until the other holy man said to him, “Look,” quoth he, “toward the east.” “We have,” quoth he, “more than they are, to help on our side.” The third reason, saith he, is that thou be never quite secure; for security begetteth carelessness and presumption, and both these beget disobedience. The fourth reason why our Lord hideth himself is, that thou mayest seek him more earnestly, and call, and weep after him, as the little baby doth after his mother. After this is the fifth reason; that thou receive him the more joyfully on his return. The sixth reason is, that thou mayest the more wisely keep, and the more firmly hold him when thou hast got him, and say with his beloved, “I held him, and I will not let him go.” These six reasons are under the sixth of the comforts that ye may have, my dear sisters, against temptations or trials.

The seventh comfort is, that all the saints were tempted like others in this world. Take this highest of all first. Our Lord said to St. Peter, “Behold, Satan is earnestly desirous to sift thee out of mine elect! but I have besought for thee that thy faith fail not utterly.” St. Paul had, as he himself telleth, pricking of the flesh. “There was given me a sting of my flesh;” and he prayed our Lord earnestly that he would remove it from him; and he would not, but said, “My grace shall keep thee, that thou shalt not be overcome: but be strong in weakness,” This is great power. All the other saints are crowned on account of their resisting temptation. Was not St. Sara tempted in her flesh full thirteen years? but, because she well knew that in her great distress the great reward sprung up, she would never beseech our Lord that he would entirely deliver her from it: but this was always her prayer, “Lord,” quoth she, “give me strength to resist.” After thirteen years came the accursed spirit who had tempted her — black as a negro — and began to cry out, “Sara, thou hast conquered me.” And she answered him and said, “Thou liest,” quoth she, “foul thing; not I, but Jesus Christ my Lord hath done it.” Behold! how the deceiver wished to make her at last mount up into pride. But she was full well aware of it, and attributed the victory entirely to the power of God. Ye know well how St. Benedict, St. Anthony, and the other saints were tempted, and, through the temptations, proved to be true champions, and so justly deserved the crown of victory. And this, in the next place, is the eighth comfort, that in like manner as the goldsmith purifieth the gold in the fire, even so doth God the soul in the fire of temptation.

The ninth comfort is, if the fiend with temptation grieveth thee sore, thou grievest him a thousand times more and sorer when thou resistest; and that for three reasons; namely, one is, that he loseth, as Origen saith, his power to tempt ever thereafter to such kind of sin. Another is, that he still further addeth to his own punishment. The third is, that he frets away his own heart with anger and vexation, that he, contrary to his intention, placeth thee in a temptation which thou resistest; increaseth thy reward; and instead of the punishment which he thought to bring thee to, he braideth for thee the crown of joy. And not one or two, but “as many times as thou overcomest him, so many crowns;” that is to say, he prepareth for thee as many various kinds of joyful honours. For so saith St. Bernard. The story in the Lives of the Fathers also beareth witness of this, concerning the disciple who sat before his master, and his master fell asleep whilst he was teaching him, and slept until midnight; and when he awoke, he said, “Art thou yet here? Go and sleep directly.” The holy man, his master, soon fell asleep again, as he had been previously in much watching, and he saw, in a very beautiful place, a throne set forth, and upon it seven crowns, and a voice came to him and said, “This throne and these seven crowns thy disciple hath this night earned.” And the holy man awaked from sleep, and called him to him. “Tell me,” quoth he, “how was it with thee while I slept, and thou didst sit before me? “ “I often thought,” quoth he, “that I would awaken thee, and because thou didst sleep sweetly, I could not for pity; and then I thought that I would go away, for I had a desire to sleep, and would not without leave.” “How oft,” quoth he, “didst thou overcome thy thoughts thus?” “Seven times,” said he. Then understood his master well what were the seven crowns that they were the seven kinds of joy which his disciple had merited each time that he rejected the suggestions of the fiend, and denied himself.

Even so, dear sisters, in the wrestling with temptation, ariseth the gain, “No one shall be crowned,” saith St. Paul, “except he who fights vigorously and faithfully” against the world, and against himself, and against the wicked one of hell. She fighteth faithfully who standeth firm, howsoever she is attacked by these three adversaries, and especially by the flesh, of what kind soever may be the desire; and the more violent it is, fighteth against it the more resolutely; and refuseth to consent to it, though with reluctant heart, however strongly it may incite her. She who doth thus is a follower of Jesus Christ: for she doth as he did, when he hanged on the cross that is, he tasted the bitter drink, and immediately withdrew himself, and would not drink it, though he was thirsty. She is with God on his cross who doth so, although she thirsteth in the desire, and the devil offers her his sweet drink. Understand, however, and consider that there is gall under it; and, though it be sweet for a while, it is better to suffer thirst than to be poisoned. Let the desire pass over, and you will be glad. While itching lasts, it seems an agreeable thing to rub; but afterwards it is felt painfully to smart. Alas! many a one, on account of great heat, is so very thirsty that while she drinketh the drink, however bitter it be,she never feeleth it,but swalloweth it greedily, and taketh no heed. And when it is all over, then she spitteth and shaketh her head, and begins to beat her breast, and to be grieved and sorrowful; but it is then too late. Notwithstanding, after sin, penitence is good: the best thing, then, is to vomit it out immediately in confession to the priest. For, if you leave it within, it will cause death. Wherefore, my dear sisters, be cautious beforehand; and according to the comforts which • are here written, seek these remedies against all temptations.

Against all, and especially against carnal temptations, the medicines and remedies are, under God’s grace, holy meditations, inward, incessant, and anxious prayers, and strong faith, and reading, fasting, and watching, and bodily labour, and comfort from others, spoken to thee in the hour of temptation, and humility, patience, and openness of heart, and all virtues, are weapons in this fight, and singleness of love above all others. He who throweth away his weapons desires to be wounded.

Holy meditations are comprehended in a verse that was long since taught you, my dear sisters —

“Think oft, with sorrow of heart, of thy sins. Think also of the pains of hell, and of the joys of heaven. Think also of thine own death, and of the cross of Christ. Have oft in thy mind the fearful doom of the judgment day. And think how false this world is, and what are its rewards. Think also what thou owest God for his goodness.”

It would require a long while to explain fully every one of these words. But, if I hasten quickly onward, tarry ye the longer. I say one word in regard to your sins: that when ye think of the pains of hell and the joys of heaven, ye must understand that God designed to exhibit them, in some manner, to men in this world, by worldly pains and worldly joys; and he sheaved them as it were a shadow — for the likeness to them is no greater. Ye are above the sea of this world, upon the bridge of heaven. See that ye be not like the horse that is shy, and blencheth at a shadow upon the high bridge, and falleth down into the water from the high bridge. They are, indeed, too shy who flee through fear of a picture that seemeth to them ghastly and terrible to behold. All pain and pleasure in this world is only like a shadow — it is all only as a picture.

Not only holy meditations, as of our Lord, and all his works, and his words; of the dear lady, and all his saints; but other reflections also have sometimes helped in innumerable temptations — in four kinds especially — when assailed with carnal temptations — fearful and wonderful, joyful and sorrowful thoughts, which arise spontaneously in the heart; as, to think what thou wouldest do if thou sawest the devil of hell stand openly before thee and gape widely upon thee, as he doth secretly in temptations: or if some one cried out loudly, fire! fire! the church is in flames! or if thou heardest thieves break through thy walls. These, and other like fearful thoughts. Wonderful and joyful — as if thou sawest Jesus Christ, and heard him ask thee what were dearest to thee after thy salvation, and that of thy dearest friends, of the things of this life, and bade thee choose, upon the condition of thy resisting temptation; or, if thou actually sawest, when under temptation, all that are in heaven, and all that are in hell, beholding thee alone; or, if any one came and told thee that a man very dear to thee were elected pope by some miracle, as by a voice from heaven; and other things of this kind. Wonderful and sorrowful — as if thou wert told that some one very dear to thee were suddenly drowned or murdered; or that thy sisters were burned to death in their house. Such thoughts, in carnal souls, often draw away carnal temptations, sooner than some of the former.

Inward, unintermitted, and fervent prayers soon obtain succour and help from our Lord against carnal temptations; and, be they ever so rudely fervent, or so coarse, the devil of hell is much afraid of them. For, besides that they quickly draw down assistance, and the hand of God from heaven against him, they do him harm of two kinds: they bind and they burn him. Behold! here is proof of both. Pupplius, a holy man, was in prayer, and the fiend came flying high above him through the air toward the west end of the world, by the command of the Emperor Julian, and was bound fast by the holy man’s prayers, which overtook him as they mounted up toward heaven, so that he could not proceed hither nor thither for full ten days. Have ye not also this of the devil Ruffinus, Belial’s brother, in our English book of St. Margaret? And the other devil of which we read that he cried loudly to St. Bartholomew, who was much in prayer, and said, “Woe am I, Bartholomew, for thy prayers burn me!” He who can, through God’s grace, shed tears in his prayers, may obtain of God whatever he desires. For so we read, “Devout prayers soften and appease our Lord; but tears constrain him.” Prayers anoint him with sweet blandishment; but tears goad him, and never give him peace nor rest, until he grant them all that they ask. When it happens that towns or castles are stormed, those that are within pour out scalding water, and thus defend the walls. Even so do ye. As often as the foe stormeth your castle and the soul-town, with your inward prayers cast out upon him scalding tears, that David may say of thee, “Thou hast scalded the head of the dragon with boiling water;” that is, with hot tears. Wherever this water is, the fiend never fails to run away, lest he should be scalded. Again, another example: The castle that hath a deep ditch around it, if there be water in the ditch, the castle is secure against its enemies. Castle: that is, every good man on whom the fiend maketh war. But if ye have the deep ditch of deep humility, and the water of tears in it, ye are a strong castle. The warrior of hell may besiege you long, and lose all his labour. Again, it is said, and it is true, a great wind is laid with a little rain; and the sun thereafter shineth the brighter. Even so, a great temptation, which is the devil’s storm, is laid with a soft rain of a few tears, and the true sun, which is Jesus Christ, shineth thereafter brighter to the soul. Such is the benefit of tears, with inward prayers, And, if ye rightly understand it, I have here mentioned four important effects of them, for which they are greatly to be loved. In all your necessities send quickly these four messengers toward heaven. For, as Solomon saith, “The humble man’s prayers pierce through the clouds.” And, to the same effect St. Austin saith, “Ο great is the force of sincere and pure prayer, which flieth up and cometh into the presence of Almighty God, and doth the errand so well, that God commandeth all that she saith to be written in the book of life.” And St. Bernard beareth witness and saith that our Lord retains her with himself, and sends down his angel to do all that she asketh. Concerning prayers I will here say no more.

Steadfast faith putteth the devil to flight immediately: St. James confirmeth this, and saith, “Only stand firm against the fiend, and he betaketh himself to flight.” Stand firm: through what strength? St. Peter teacheth, “Stand only against him with strong faith.” Be confident of God’s assistance, and learn to know how weak is he that hath no power over us but through ourselves. He can only shew thee some of his counterfeit wares, and wheedle or threaten to induce men to buy them; and whichever of these he doth, mock ye and despise and laugh the old ape to utter scorn, through true faith; and he will account himself defeated, and betake himself to flight quickly. “All the holy saints by faith overcame the power of the devil,” which is merely sin. For he hath power in none but through sin only.

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